The present invention pertains to communication system subscriber services and more particularly to maintenance and storage of subscriber (user) service profiles.
In existing cellular communications systems, user service profiles and subscription restriction agreements are currently stored in a centralized home location register (HLR). The HLR is typically a large database which is owned and configured by the network operator, the local telephone company. User service profiles include the kinds of services to which a user subscribes, for example, call waiting, call forwarding and three-way calling, etc. Subscription restriction agreements include those which govern functions such as roaming with a cellular phone. All such user information is commonly stored in a HLR which is maintained and configured by a telephone company.
Changes to the user's service profile are administered by the telephone company which provides the operation support system (OSS). Typically the HLR is a single function within each Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). In order to affect changes the user must submit a service change request for either roaming services or basic subscription services or both. The restriction agreements governing roaming functions and others may be distributed among other HLRs in other Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMN) based on the service level agreement between the various telephone operations companies. The service level agreements allow each telephone operating company to generate revenue based on subscribers from foreign PLMNs who roam into their particular PLMN. Changes to restriction agreement must be administered by an operator of the OSS.
As a result, any changes to a subscriber's HLR entry is difficult to change. It may require operator interface to affect the change. Several HLRs may have to be contacted to retrieve and/or modify appropriate service level agreement information. Furthermore, it may take substantial time to update the database of the particular HLR which is associated with the operation support system.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide the user or subscriber who desires to modify his restrictive agreements or service profiles or to initiate new services the capability to do so without complex interaction with the telephone company and affect such changes rapidly.